Shovel.



No. 813,166. v PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906. J. B. NEWTON.

SHOVEL.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 17. 1905.

JAMES EDWARD NEWTON, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed February 1'7, 1905. Serial No. 245,997.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES EDWARD NEW- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShovels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shovels, and has for its object the provision ofmeans whereby a shovel may be strong and durable, yet very light inweight. It is particularly applicable to snow-shovels, the scoop ofwhich is usually made of wood and has its working edge shod with iron.In such a snow-shovel the handle and the working edge are made fast tothe wooden portion or scoop, usually of soft light wood, yet thickenough to enable the scoop rigidly to resist a thrust. This thrust istransmitted through the scoop, and as a result after some use thehandle, scoop, working edge, and fastenings become loose and the shovelis rendered useless. Such a shovel, while it has the advantage ofcheapness, is short-lived.

Now the principal feature of my invention resides in means whereby anythrust upon the shovel is transmitted, not through the scoop, butthrough means independent thereof, operatively connecting the handlewith the working edge of the shovel, the scoop in no way resisting thethrusts, but simply performing the function of holding the snow or othermaterial gathered therein.

A shovel embodying my invention is very strong, light in weight, anddurable, and, further, the cost of construction is small.

Figure 1 is a perspective top view of my invention embodied in a woodensnow-shovel, the handle of said shovel being shown in dotted lines forthe sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a perspective bottom view of what isshown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are a side and a plan view of amodification, the handle and the scoop being dotted in. Figs. 5 and 6are a side and a plan view of my invention, the scoop being of thinmetal instead of wood and the handle being dotted in. Figs. 7 and 8 area side and a plan view of a modification, and Fig. 9 is a detail. Figs.10 and 11 show another modification, and Fig. 12 is a detail.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the bestmethod now known to me of applying said principle a shovel is shownconsisting of a handle A, operatively connected to a working edgeportion B by means C and a scoop D, mounted upon said means C.

Having reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the connecting means consists ofthree rods 1 2 3, whose end portions are fixed to the edge portion B andwhose opposite end portions are fixed to the handle A. To permit thehandle A to be inclined, as is usually the case, to the scoop D, the rod1 is bent upwardly at its inner portion 4, and the inner portion 5 ofthe two converging rods 2 3 is bent up and looped to receive the shankof the handle A. The handle A is secured to the rod 1, as by rivets 6 7,and also to the rods 2 3, as by a pin 8, while these rods are fixed tothe working edge by rivets 10 10. It will now be plain that the handle Ais rigidly fixed to the working edge B, and the handle, rods, andworking edge are bound together and form one rigid combination ofelements.

The scoop D, of any desired shape, is fitted upon the rods 1 2 3,adjusted to the working edge B, and secured in any suitable way, as bysmall rivets 9 9.

The operation of my invention is as fol lows: Let us suppose theshovelis pushed against a piece of ice on a sidewalk. A thrust given at thehandle is transmitted to the rods 1 2 3, which in turn pass it on to andthrough the working edge B. The ice resists the thrust and reactsthrough said parts; but it will be obvious that the scoop D is notaffected by this action and reaction, because it is simply supportedupon the rods 1 2 3-and the working edge portion B. In fine, anyresistance to be overcome by the shovel is borne by the handle, rods,and working edge and not by the scoop, as is the case with shovelsheretofore constructed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the handle is made fast only to one rod 13, and the twoconverging rods 14 and 15 are connected with rod 13.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the handle, rods, and working edge portion aresubstantially the same as in the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 and 2;but the scoop represented is of thin metal stamped into the desiredshape. This construction is very light in weight,'strong and durable,and capable of very successful use in moving coal and the like.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown another modification. The means connecting thehandle with the working edge is made in one piece H and is designed hereto sustain a wooden scoop, Fig. 9 showing the ears 25 before they arebent up to receive the shank of the handle which is pinned therein.

Figs. 10 and 11 show substantially the same construction as is shown inFigs. 3, 4, except the side rods 14 15 are riveted to ears 27,projecting from the middle rod 13 and from Working edge portion B, Fig.12 showing the form of the middle rod 13 as it comes from the stamp.

Having described my invention, and desiring to claim it in the broadestmanner legally possible, What I claim is A shovel, consisting of ahandle; a Working edge portion; a rod connecting said Working edgeportion With said handle; a second rod Whose free ends are connectedWith said Working edge portion, and Whose middle portion is bent andforms a loop for the reception, and the fastening thereto, of the shankof the shovel; and a scoop. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWoWit/1168868,

JAMES EDWARD NEWTON. Witnesses:

RICHARD P. BORDEN, ROBERT C. DAvIs.

